New-York tribune., 1887-12-13
THE SITTJTION,

What is public opinion regarding the tarll
President Cleveland has appealed to it, eyi-
IDENTIFY in the belief that it will sustain HIM
Some of his friends are already bOaStlng thal
his Message has put the Republicans 81
bad hole" But there are at least as many in
Cuential Democrats who feel that the party " in
d bad hOle' Just at present is the President 5
party, and the Republicans with great unaIim-
IT,, especially since Mr.. Blaincs statement
and tie outb.lsy Of popular approval VIII
which it was nailed, welcome the lssde when
the President has presented. What Is thc
fact do the people sustain the protective
tariff, or do they want its protective features
removed or radically modified?
There is more evidence on this subject thar
some pJiucians realize. The people do not
in form vote directly on measures prolo'cd'
but their votes for or against Candidates VINO
have taken definite positions On pending q"oS-
tions show what they want often with trcat
distinctncsS. Thus when a direct issue was
made against NJ. Morrison, in the Illinois dis
tric. which he has so often carried by largc
maioritics when wOrkingmcn were arCu cd
against him expressly on the ground that his
course On the tariff was against the lntcrcS'
of workers. and when he was beaten On hat
one issue and an old-time champi' OF pro-
lection was elected by more than 600 plural
itv. there was clcqr evidence that the pcoiic
oi one district upheld the protective system.
In = great many districts similar changes lest
wear gave poof that the people di>approvcd
the effort which the Democratic party had
made every wint'r to break down protection.
Nominations have cast some light on the sub-
icct There was ono Republican from Brook
lyn who was considered "tariT rcformci' ;
in his stead Mr. White, IN earnest Republican
and Protcctionist was nominated and elected.
Tb"rc were folr Republicans from Minnesota
who lei. .,ed Mr. Morrison the people returned
only one Of them.
The general result Of this test OF public
opinion is that the Republican party has thir-
teen more members than it had in the l7st
Congress. and the Democratic party has four
teen less members. This clearly indicates an
increasing strength for the protective system.
OF all the Republicans only one member IL
known to he out OF sympathy with the pro
tcctivc policy which his party have consistently
pursued. But q the reduced D'mocratic rep
rcscntation it was claimed that over thirty
would stand with Mr.. Randall in resisting the
opinions which Mr.. Morrison embodied in scv-
elaI bills. and which Mr. Cleveland has far
more frankly presented in his Message The
South furn shes the bulk of the frcc-tradc vote
Outside this city. with its machine delegation
which represents no public opinion Of any sort
but only the schemes Of a few Democratic
leaders. the c-tradc idea was not supported
by the majority Of the people in twenty Con
rlessional districts in all the Northern States.
oh
who will vote with the Democratic party
against the protective system, it is because he
deceived his supporters, and pretended to DC
ProtcctonSt or a Randall Democrat when he
was not About twO-third> OF the members
from Northern districts are Republicans, and
distinctly il favor Of protection. But on a
direct issue between the policy of Mr.. Cievc-
land and the protective policy, there is no
reason to suppose that Mr.. Cleveland can carry
twenty Northern districts outside Of this city
Yet this does not prove that Mr. Clcvciand's
new departure was suicidal. II is possible Tor
q Democrat TO be elected President by tho
votes Of the Solid South. with Newly ork Cny
and few adjacent districts While pretend
ing to look for increased strength IN the West
crn States. as q result Of his position on the
taliif question. Mr.. Cleveland and his immc-
dIitc friends do in fact hope to succeed Gnly
bv the votes Of the southern States. with
sufficiently heavy majoritics IN this city, Jersey
CITY New Haven and the suburbs OF New
York to carry the electoral votes OF three
States TO aid them they expect to haYc a
practically Unlimited campaign fund, because
the vast interests Of foreign manufacturers
and traders viii be enlisted as they never were
before II is not expected by shicWd Demo
Gratis that the people Of the Northern states
ont ,ide this narrow circle Will support Mr..
Clcvchrd's policy. They know perfectly well
that IL W.li cost the Democratic party great
many votes everywhere else, But they caicu-
late that in the Southern States, where the
voting is not free, and in this region, where The
influence OF importers is grca, and where the
power of money has been repeatedly shown.
a Democratic victory can be secured.
PIofcsScdy appealing to the people, then.
the Democratic party hopes to defeat the will
Of large majority Of the pcopi" by It's control
Of elections at the South and by corrupt means
in 4 few localities at the North. That defeat
is to be prevented only by overwhelming Re-
publican majoritics in the rural districts and
manufacturing towns Of this State, Connecticut
and NcwJcrscy.